ログインInside the rolling carriage, the world was reduced to the steady rhythm of wheels on dirt and the shared warmth of two bodies. Elira lay against Thane's chest, her head tucked beneath his chin. For a long time, there was only the gentle, rocking silence and the slow, steady beat of his heart under her ear.Then, a change. A warmth that was not from the sun-warmed wood of the carriage began to spread through her. It started where their bodies touched—his hand on her back, her cheek against his chest—and seeped deep into her bones, chasing out a cold she hadn't even realized had taken root in her marrow. It was the mate bond, a silent, persistent current of life flowing from him into her. The last of the silver's poison, a hollow, aching emptiness in her very core, began to stir, slowly filling with a low, humming energy that felt like coming home after a l
Thane cradled Elira against his chest, his large hands incredibly gentle as he adjusted his hold. A low, pained sound rumbled in his throat, a predator's growl at the sight of his wounded mate. Elira, who had been as limp and unresponsive as a doll for hours, stirred. Her head turned, her face pressing into the hollow of Thane's neck as if drawn by a magnet, seeking the scent and warmth that her very blood demanded. A weak, shuddering sigh escaped her lips, the first sign of peace she had shown since her capture. It was a gesture of pure, unconscious instinct, and it shattered what was left of Kael's heart.Then Thane did what Kael could not. He lowered his head and kissed her.It was not a kiss of romance or gentle affection, but of desperate, primal healing. His lips sealed over hers, and a faint, silve
The first light of dawn was staining the sky a pale gray when Kael was finally led down into the dungeon. The King's signed order, still damp from the royal seal, felt like a death warrant in his hand rather than a pardon. Each step downward into the bowels of the palace felt like descending into a grave. The stones wept with moisture, and the air grew thick with the stench of rust, stagnant water, and human misery. The guard, a young man whose face Kael recognized from the training yards, could not meet his eyes as he unlocked the heavy iron door and stepped back, granting him entry.The sight in the cell stole the air from his lungs and the strength from his legs.Elira was curled on the bare, damp stone floor, a small, broken thing in the tattered remains of her once-beautiful gown. The heavy silver ma
Finn and Borin were speechless. There was no answer that would not invite violence. Thane’s control snapped. With a sudden, explosive motion, he kicked a nearby wooden chair, sending it splintering against the wall.“He is taking too long!” he snarled, not at them, but at the world. Without another word, he stormed out into the gardens, a caged animal with nowhere to run.In the ringing silence he left behind, Finn looked at the only other person who remained.“You… you are not leaving?” Borin did not look away from the empty doorway. His face was grim, but resolved.“I swore my life to the lady,” he said simply.
The morning after the banquet, the palace was no longer a place of celebration. It was a nest of buzzing, outraged hornets. The news did not simply spread; it exploded, flying from noble to servant, from guard to merchant, until it seemed the very stones of the city whispered it.“A werewolf! She lived among us!”“The Duchess is a monster!”“She deceived the Wolf Hunter himself!Shared his bed! What dark magic did she use?”In the grand houses of the nobles, the reaction was not just fear, but a deep, insulted fury. They felt personally betrayed. That a creature they had been forced to toast, a woman from a traitorous bloodline they had reluctantl
The massive palace gates slammed shut behind Kael with a final, heavy thud that shook the ground beneath his feet. The sound was an ending. One moment, he was Duke Kael of Cinderfell, a war hero standing in the heart of power. The next, he was a man standing alone in the cold night air, the King's last words still ringing in his ears."You are a hero of this kingdom, Kael. But until you renounce that... that creature, you are no longer welcome within these walls. Do not attempt to return."The stone walls, once a symbol of his duty and home, were now a prison wall separating him from his wife. He could still see her eyes, those wild, golden eyes, meeting his just before they dragged her away. He had not seen a monster. He had seen Elira. Terrified. In pain. His Elira.







